The Dip: Priming and Preparing Plastic Figures

When I prepare soft plastic figures like ESCI, Revell and Airfix for painting, I use "The Dip" to strip off the mold release and slick coating. The formula for the dip is two tablespoons each of "Comet" cleanser and "Dawn" dish soap added to a gallon of very hot -- but not boiling -- water. I stir them around a lot with a wooden spoon and let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Then drain and rinse with luke warm water. Brush them lightly with an old toothbrush. Let them dry for an hour, then you are ready to paint.

I usually base my figures on pennies or small washers with super glue gel. I use oil-based paints like Testors and Paktra, then give them two coats of Testors Dull Cote sealer.

Building a Foam Board Mesa for Western Games

To build a mesa terrain piece, I cut foam board in varying sizes of circles and/or ovals. Then, I glue them together in stacks using Elmer's white glue with the largest oval on the bottom as a base. After the stack has dried overnight, I paint them with a special textured paint called "Stone Fleck" (I found it at Michael's Craft Store on Morse Rd. in Columbus). I use two coats of this paint to fill in any gaps on the sides. Then, I ink wash with black and let it dry. Finally, I seal with a clear spray.

I will be using my newly-built mesas at Capcon XXI on Friday for Desperado games, "Shoot-out at the Waterhole" and "Rob the Bank."